


Course Contre La Montre

by larkinmarie



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23655325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larkinmarie/pseuds/larkinmarie
Summary: The identities of some of the heroes were exposed by Queen Wasp. Because of this, the race to find out the remaining heroes' has begun.Meanwhile, Adrien has begun to have flashbacks of his alternate timeline with Marinette. The stress of courting Kagami came from both the girl herself, but also his father, who often seemed almost insistent that it was Kagami that he invite to events. Who will he turn to when he needs to be himself and relax?Marinette is feeling overwhelmed with the new addition of the Miracle Box that she is now responsible for. Something's got to give. First, it's her crush on Adrien, who is now with Kagami anyway. But then Luka steps in, teaching her how to relax and trust her instincts. But will he get too close? Will some secrets slip?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 26
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction. It's amazing what hours of unstructured time will let me accomplish! I'd love to promise regular updates, but I've never done this before, so I might never touch this again. Who knows?
> 
> Please enjoy! I like to study people and motivations, so I tried to stay as close to character as I could, and that there's a lot of exposition and inner thought, at least for now. There's a lot more drama and action in my head!

She should be used to this by now. Hawkmoth had sent so many akumas and even sentimonsters before; why would this time be any different? Chloe would be claiming that she helped Ladybug rather than willingly sided with the villain, and Adrien would ask her if she were okay. Alya would be perusing the Ladyblog boards for photos since Rena Rouge had kept her from chasing down Queen Wasp with Ladybug and Chat Noir as herself. Nino, her friend since primary school, would be trying to reign Alya in, assuring her that Rena Rouge was awesome as always followed by the winks Marinette had caught between the two ever since Ladybug had given them their miraculouses together. Marinette always tried to pull the subject away from Ladybug both embarrassed to be talking about herself, and worried that any attention brought to Ladybug with her around might lead Alya to discover that her best friend was keeping a very important secret from her.

One thing that did make today different was the pace Marinette approached the school with. Usually, Marinette would be sprinting up the stairs at this time, cheeks flushed and lungs burning, digging through her bag as she ran with a croissant in her mouth. Today, Marinette was reaching for the door to Mlle. Bustier's classroom five minutes before school started. Today, Marinette took a deep breath and tried to channel any drop of energy she might have hidden in her. Today, the door felt like it weighed 300lbs and the lights that shined through the windows stung her eyes. She had not gone to sleep last night. 

At first she had tried, tossing and turning in her bed for hours until, worried that she would disturb Tikki, she climbed onto her balcony. From there, Marinette watched the Parisian night life wane into the quiet of 2am…3am…4…

While it would not have been the first time Marinette had fallen asleep in the lounger on her balcony, sleep continued to avoid her. Her mind idly wandered over the day's events. Hawkmoth and Mayura had managed to corner Master Fu, a pain only matched by watching Adrien wipe ice cream from Kagami's cheek that same afternoon. With a sharper sting, she also remembered Luka. His steady patience wrapped itself around her on the bridge, brought to life by the melody strolling easily off of his guitar. He had told her that she could say nothing, so she did. She luxuriated in the feeling of someone needing nothing from her. He didn't judge her because he didn't judge anyone. There were 30 million people in Paris that depended on her everyday. There were half a dozen teachers that expected perfect behavior from the class president. There were friends and family and crushes that stole her time, attention, energy, heart. Most importantly, there was one person in the world who literally put his life on the line for her daily, and counted on her to do the same. Chat was her partner, and his unyielding loyalty made her work harder everyday to live up to the Ladybug the Chat Noir saw. But one person truly wanted nothing from her. Luka chased away her doubts with a thick aura of acceptance; he knew Ladybug would succeed because she would. He knew Marinette needed space and support to deal with whatever emotions were broiling across her face. He knew he could be what she needed because he was.

Marinette inhaled deeply,mentally preparing herself for the morning chatter, when an arm reached around her and grabbed the handle.

"Oh-Uh, Sorry! Let me get that for you, Marinette!" Adrien's other hand was scratching the back of his neck.

Marinette's lips parted, but she didn't have the energy to get worked up over a boy that was dating someone else anyway. She looked down and nodded with a polite smile. Adrien's fingers grasped the handle and began to twist-- but suddenly let go. The handle gave a small rattle, snapping Marinette out of her haze of dejection. 

"Hey-- Actually, are you okay? You seemed so quiet yesterday on the bridge. I-I-- thought you might want to talk to a friend, you know?" Adrien had thought all night about the confusing tension the evening before. Marinette often looked stressed or nervous, but ever since he and Ladybug had saved Master Fu from Hawkmoth, Mayura, and Queen Wasp his friend had looked…. devastated. 

None of his friends looked very happy, actually. Alya and Nino looked like they were trying to reassure one another of something. He found out scrolling a Ladybug chatroom at 2am anonymously why: 

pinlov: I know the identity of Ladybug's team! 

moew: What do you know?

pinlov: That depends on what you want to pay for.

moew: Name your price.

It took surprisingly little bitcoin to learn that the first heroes to be added were two of his best friends. They were supporting each other after their team's defeat. While he had suspected Max was Pegasus, he was surprised that Kim was King Monkey though it made perfect sense in hindsight. He was relieved that this stranger did not know the identity of Ladybug herself, Chat Noir, nor his friend Luka and his superhero identity. Adrien did not share what he knew with the stranger. He also knew something that no one else did: That the morosely flushed young girl in front of him was also a trusted confidant of Ladybug. Marinette showed a natural grasp of the mouse miraculous, and something about that nagged at the back of his mind. She always seemed to worry more about others than herself, so Adrien made it point to check in on her personally whenever he could. He was secretly thrilled to see her walking just ahead of him into the school, and had rushed down the halls to catch up to her.

"A friend-yeah. If that's all I am--I mean! It's not like I could be your *girlfriend* or anything-I! Uh, I mean… That would be nice, Adrien." She looked so resigned. This wasn't the Marinette he knew.

"Did you get caught up in yesterday's akuma? You seemed very quiet last night." Adrien suspected he was being too blunt, but thanks to his father and Nathalie, Adrien was used to getting straight to the point.

Marinette's eyes widened and then darted around. "Oh! uhm…Well… An old family friend-of my family's… he, uh, his mem-uh, he left. Moved away." Her eyes softened. "I'm just afraid I'm lost without him." She wrapped her arms around herself self-consciously. A beat later, she straightened her back, eyes closed. Adrien could almost see the mental mask she placed on her face as she hid her emotions. "He's going to be with his Love. It's selfish of me to be sad. He deserves this."

Adrien knew that move. After his mom disappeared, Adrien's dad wasted little time throwing him into the spotlight, his fashion debut only a month after she went missing. He learned quickly to tamp down any… unattractive emotions. He had experience with masks. He smirked to himself. He also had experience with loss. Master Fu released his Kwami, making Ladybug the new guardian of the Miracle Box. Adrien had only just started to know the former guardian, but still grieved the loss of one of very, very few people who understood the pressures put on him by being a miraculous holder. The only person on earth who knew the identity of Chat Noir.

Without warning, Adrien wrapped his arms around Marinette. She stiffened, but quickly relaxed some. A smile melted onto her face.

“You’re not being selfish to grieve the loss of a close friend. But don’t be afraid to reach out to your friends when it gets overwhelming.” Instinctually, Adrien placed his cheek on top of Marinette’s hair. With a smile, he felt Marinette relax further and snuggle slightly into his neck. He had just breathed in the achingly familiar scent of Marinette’s shampoo mixed with a sugary dusting of her family’s bakery… His mind began spinning as something deep within him was telling him this was important… She was important. 

Adrien felt himself losing this call… He reached for it, grasped and clawed in his mind… gripping tighter, refusing to let go.

“Adri-ow! What’re you-” Marinette wrestled free of Adrien’s grip. Just as she stumbled away, the bell rung, signaling the start of class. Marinette shrieked and Adrien gasped back to the present. Panting, he backed against the wall. Marinette looked frightened but quickly transformed in front of him to a fierceness he rarely saw from her. Then she dropped her shoulders. “Dammit, Adrien. You made me late for class. I was actually going to be on time for once.”

Adrien looked at the ground. He hadn’t meant to bother her. He had only meant to check on her. “I’m sorry. You go in first.”

Marinette looked guilty for snapping at him. “You meant well. I’ll cover for you while you catch your breath.” She opened the door and strode in. “Sorry Mlle Bustier! I was walking to class and I saw this lost cat…” Adrien laughed to himself at the unknown truth of her statement.

“I’m sorry Marinette, but that’s three tardies. Please go see Mr. Damocles.”

A moment later, Marinette came sulking back through the door. Ever since Lila began making accusations about Marinette, teachers and faculty had been keeping a closer eye on her, holding her to a stricter standard that the other students. Adrien felt awful for causing her this trouble. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the classroom.

“Mlle Bustier, there was a misunderstanding! My locker got stuck, and I pulled Marinette in to help me. Please don’t count it against her that she’s tardy. It was my fault.” Adrien set his face to his most innocent look. Mlle Bustier looked relieved to let Marinette off.

“Oh, very well then. Both of you, please take your seats and we’ll begin.”

It wasn’t until Adrien turned to walk up the stairs that he realized he was still holding Marinette by the wrist. He felt his cheeks burning as he dropped her arm and slid into his seat. He heard Marinette stiffly scoot into the bench behind her.

Class was nearly over when Alya’s phone chimed loudly. Adrien hung out with Alya enough to know it wasn’t her normal notification sound. Mlle Bustier sighed, rubbing her temples. “Alya, please put your phone on silent. Next time it goes off, it’s mine.”

“I’m sorry Mlle Bustier, I-I thought it was.” Alya reached for her bag as the bell rung, saving her from trying to keep herself quiet when she saw the screen. “Oh shit! Nino, you and I need to go, now.” Nino assumed she had a lead for a story on the Ladyblog, but followed her unquestioningly. Marinette and Adrien were also used to Alya’s passion for journalism, and so were not surprised by her exit. If anything, Marinette looked a bit annoyed that her best friend had dashed off before she had a chance to talk to Alya about her bizzare interaction outside the door, leading to Adrien leading her by the wrist in front of the whole class.

Adrien’s hand found the back of his neck once again. “I know I’m no Alya, but can I walk you to our next class? To make up for making you late.”

“You already did that by getting me out of trouble.” Marinette walked down the stairs and stood next to him. “But I would never say no to walking with you, Adrien.”

Adrien quickly threw his bag over his shoulder and followed her out the door. 

By lunchtime, the mood of the group had become palpably tense. Marinette was waiting for Alya when she came out of her class. “Alya, I need help. This morning, before class, Adrien hugged me. I know! And it was a good hug, too. Not a side-hug or a friend-hug-- Not that I think we’re more that friends now, I mean, I saw him with Kagami, so I know. But then he held my hand. Well my wrist. But, gently. I know I want to get over him, but why does it feel like fate won’t let me? Because Alya, he hugged me!”

Alya looked up as if she just realized she were walking. “Hmm? Oh, yeah, go for it, girl.” Marinette was about to ask her just what the hell she was talking about when Alya’s eyes shot across the corridor. “Nino,” she hissed. “Let’s go.” Alya realized she was abandoning her conversation with Marinette and paused. “Oh, right. Sorry, I- We… Nino and I, we have to… talk.”

Marinette was not that innocent. She knew a euphemism when she heard one. She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, fine. Go.” Alya was already disappearing around the corner. Marinette sighed and walked towards the stairs. If she couldn’t talk to Alya, at least she could go home and talk to Tikki during lunch.

“I’ll get it right this time!” A voice laughed ahead of her. Adrien Agreste was waiting with the door held open and a playful grin on his face. Marinette couldn’t help but blush and giggle. She channelled her inner Victorian demure and strode through the opened door, barely containing her giggles threatening to bubble over.

“Thank you kindly, fine sir. Your manners speak well of your… infamous upbringing.” Marinette snickered as she took a long pause once she was through, posing her arms as if she were a model for a Renoir painting.

“The pleasure is all mine, M’Lady.” It was that exact moment that Marinette picked to turn around, just as Adrien had released the door and bowed theatrically. In that exact moment, Marinette was not sure who she saw: Adrien or Chat Noir. She cried out. “Mari? Are you okay?” Adrien touched her shoulder.

Marinette blinked, chasing any further comparisons away. “Oh? Yeah, sorry. I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was actually headed home to take a nap for lunch.”

“I’m sorry to hear that you’re not feeling well. Can I walk you down the stairs?” Adrien took her hand and tucked it securely under his arm. Together they began down the steps. Adrien’s car was already waiting. “I have trouble sleeping sometimes too. Next time, send me a message. I might be up too.”

Marinette could not believe her ears. Adrien wanted her to text him? “Oh, uhm. Sure, I’d appreciate that.” Was this a reward for deciding to get over him, or a punishment? To further complicate things, Adrien’s back seat window rolled down.

Kagami locked eyes with Adrien. “Adrien, your father requests that you take me to lunch today. I have reserved a table and ordered for both of us already.” She glanced at Marinette who was watching with wide eyes. “Hello, Marinette. I hope you are feeling well this school day.” She smiled briefly. 

As Adrien’s car drove off, Marinette kicked a pebble off the curb next to her and turned to walk home. “What the hell was that? Was he flirting? Did I flirt back? OMIGOD did I flirt with Adrien? I flirted with Adrien Agreste and his girlfriend saw me. Did you hear that though? I flirted with Adrien! Me, Marinette duPain-Cheng, I had a real conversation with Adrien Agreste!”

“Marinette?” Marinette spun around with her arms up as if she would fight whoever interrupted her. “I’m sorry, Mari. I thought maybe you were on the phone and I didn’t want to interrupt, but I wanted to offer to have lunch with you. It’s okay if you already have plans though.”

Marinette dropped her hands and quickly snapped her purse shut. “Luka! I was just, yeah, on the phone! With Alya! But she had to go!” She paused. “I’m just going to my house for lunch, but you’re welcome to join me.” She smiled. She might be giving up her nap time, but maybe this was better.

Luka chained his bike up while Marinette grabbed two sandwiches from the bakery. Together they walked up the stairs to Marinette’s room. They continued up to the balcony where they sat to eat.

“Luka? How do you stay so relaxed about everything? You have so much going on: Graduating in a few months, Kitty Section, your job, and… you know, other responsibilities you might have…” While Viperion had only joined her team recently, He was incredibly talented and patient. How could he be so calm when he’d watched himself fail 100 times before Ladybug and the others were able to get it right?

Sometimes with Luka, it felt like he knew exactly what she was talking about. He couldn’t know, and hopefully a question like this wasn’t too transparent. “Because I’m able to focus my attention on the present. Yes, I have all those things, plus... a few more, but I can only worry about one thing at a time. I just try to do the right thing in this moment.”

Marinette wiped her mouth with a napkin and smiled. “I like that.” She laid back on her lounger. “I wish I could control who I liked…” Her eyes drifted closed in the spring sunshine.

Luka pulled his guitar into his lap and was gingerly waking the strings. He closed his eyes and hummed tuning notes. “You know it’s okay if you like two people at once.” He strummed a sweetly melodic arpeggio.

Marinette licked her lips as her head relaxed into deeper sleep. Luka continued to serenade her with simple exercises and songs until Sabine Cheng popped her head through the skylight. Luka stood up awkwardly. “I’m sorry Mm Cheng, she seemed to sleep better when I was playing!” He kept his voice low.

Sabine smiled. “That’s very kind of you, Luka. I know she had trouble sleeping last night. I’ll email her teachers and excuse her for the afternoon. You’d better get to school yourself though.” She grabbed a throw off of Marinette’s bed and draped it over her daughter. “Poor girl, sometimes she acts as if she has the weight of the world on her shoulders.” She led Luka back to the entrance to the apartment. “Thank you for taking care of Marinette when she couldn’t do it herself. You must have helped her relax.”

“Marinette is a very special girl. I’m glad to do my part to support her.” As he turned to cross the street with his bike, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was putting the pieces to something together. But what?

Alya sat on the grass, thankful for the park’s emptiness as she and Nino found the most secluded spot they could. The couple knew many of the park’s hidden spots, but today, they needed privacy for a different reason.

“What am I going to do? Nino, do you understand what this means?” Nino was once again looking at the phone.

Nino set the phone down in the grass and pulled Alya into a protective hug. “You don’t know that it means that. Ladybug has ways of dealing with situations like this.”

“Does she?! You saw how she was with Chloe. She took her Miraculous because people knew her identity. Ladybug’s going to take my miraculous! It’s not even my fault! Who the hell was recording the steps at that time of day!?” She buried her head in Nino’s neck. Nino glanced once again at the phone, still lit in the grass.

Unknown Number

>I know who you are, foxy girl

>Image RR.gif

The animation of Alya transforming into Rena Rouge looped endlessly in his eyes. “I think you should go to Ladybug as soon as you can. She needs to know someone on her team is… compromised.”

“What do you think they want?” Nino recognized the setting. He knew that if Rena Rouge was in the video, Nino likely was too. Why was this stranger targeting only Alya? He shrugged. The phone chimed again, that unusual notification sound taunting them both.

>If you don’t want this to go public, you will give me what I want.

>Ladybug’s identity.

>I don’t know Ladybug’s identity! I swear!

>Then until you do, you work for me. If you fail to discover Ladybug’s identity by the end of the school year, I will release this image, plus video the other heroes transforming yesterday.

>If I find you’re hiding anything from me, and I will find out, I will release the photo. Don’t try me.

Alya and Nino looked at each other. “I’ve got to contact Ladybug.”

Nathalie Sancoeur was perusing the Parisian News, looking for the next potential Akuma victims. Hawkmoth had a new plan, and she wasn't going to let him down this time. While reading the comments to an article commending Ladybug and Chat Noir for their victory over Queen Wasp, something caught her eye. In the midst of a stereotypical argument where someone suggested that maybe if Ladybug and Chat Noir just gave Hawkmoth their Miraculouses, Hawkmoth would leave Paris alone, Nathalie saw an anonymous comment that made her heart jump.

>If you knew the identities of Ladybug and her team, you'd know that they would never have the guts to come forward. They are nothing without their Miraculous! If someone stronger were able to get ahold of a Miraculous, this would have ended long ago.

Nathalie knew Miraculous knowledge and presumptive confidence like that could likely only belong to one person. Gabriel had chosen Lila Rossi to help him keep an eye on his son at school. She was fiercely manipulative, and most of her stories were fabricated and warped beyond recognition. Nathalie didn't trust Lila.More than once, Nathalie had been tasked with cleaning up a mess begun by Lila's "faulty memory" and semantic games. After yesterday's failure with Queen Wasp, Nathalie decided she didn't have time for Lila's nonsense today. She picked up her phone and dialed.

Somehow even the way Lila answered the phone felt smug.

"Paris is talking about the identities of Ladybug and her team."

"I'm aware." It seemed like Lila was aware of everything.

"It's crucial that Hawkmoth know their identities first."

"And will. Let me handle this and I promise, you will be able to use this information for Hawkmoth's plan." That felt like semantics again…

"Very well. You will come to me directly with anything you find out."

" _ Of course, Mlle Sancoeur _ ," Lila drawled, Was she the only one who found this girl insufferable? 

Lila hung up the phone and narrowed her eyes. That assistant was too nosey. What use was she to Hawkmoth anyway, with her broken miraculous? She would be a much better miraculous holder. Hawkmoth still didn’t see that, and she was determined to get ahold of a miraculous and show him. Show everyone. 

It was disappointing that no one was coming forward with any information about the identities of the remaining heroes on the video, but her baiting comments on some of the Ladybug articles had gotten her some serious cash from more than one source. She still had the same question blazing through her head:

Why did all of the known heroes go to  [ Collège Françoise Dupont ](https://miraculousladybug.fandom.com/wiki/Coll%C3%A8ge_Fran%C3%A7oise_Dupont) ?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien meets with some of the women in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Pacing might be an issue of mine, but our protagonists are about to meet again, and hopefully some action will soon follow.

Adrien winced as he watched Kagami pointedly pull out her own chair. Though she could probably throw him several feet without breaking a sweat and could move her own chair easily, he knew he had broken etiquette. The Tsurugis were very proper, and sometimes his anxiety got the best of him and he forgot to hold a door or take a lady’s coat. Today the fauxs pas were piling up faster than Plagg could eat a wheel of Camembert.

Situations like this were one of the biggest reasons he ran off to Dupont. A year ago, his mom had served as the buffer between young Adrien and his stiflingly mannered father. But with the sudden disappearance of his mother after a short and mysterious illness, Adrien was left unprepared for his father’s harshness. Intense loneliness coupled with the nauseating feeling in the pit of his stomach that came from repeatedly disappointing his dad drove him desperately out.

Kagami understood how Adrien felt. The few times they were allowed to talk unsurvielenced, Kagami and he were able to share freely how difficult it was to keep up traditions. However, Adrien saw that Kagami was able to memorize and deploy with ease the complex series of greetings and bows that pleased her family. Adrien seemed to never get anything right. His father’s exasperated sighs echoed in his brain, reminding him of every mistake, every subpar photo shoot, every lost fencing match, every unauthorized visit to his office… 

Adrien tried not to think about reprimands from earlier and pressed on with his lunch. He knew the bill would be inspected by his father’s assistant, so cheeseburgers were out of the question. Still, Adrien knew he could push the diet envelope a bit when surprise appointments pulled him out of school. Nathalie wasn’t entirely heartless after all.

“So to what do I owe the pleasure, Mlle Kagami?” Adrien bowed theatrically. He and Kagami often exaggerated their parents’ stiff courting moves. He did the same with Ladybug, but she never appreciated it. Kagami knew exactly who Adrien was mimicking, and she found it hilarious, as long as no one was looking. Today she offered a polite smile and gestured to the chair across from her. Rather than feel embarrassed, Adrien knew that she was telling him that someone was watching them. He nodded in understanding.

“Our parents think it is wise to begin regular social outings together. They feel the ‘mutual elevation’ provided from our names will be beneficial to both brands.” She was always better at getting to the point than he was.

“Regular social outings?”

“I told my mother that you were not ready to begin dating. I assured her that you would tell me when things change.”

“That sounds simple enough.” Adrien preferred to keep monitored talks like these brief and straightforward. “Until then I will still delight in your exquisite company , little dragon.” He delighted in the flash of panic that crossed her face when he toyed with one of her most coveted secrets. She had no idea he was privy to her secret identity.

The pair went on to enjoy a short but sweet lunch before Adrien was allowed to return to school and Kagami returned to her tutors. Adrien was disappointed to see that Marinette was not seated behind him after lunch. Nino and Alya hadn’t really seemed to notice yet, still engrossed in whatever drama Alya had pulled them both into.

Class had been released to research in the library for their presentations later in the term. Alya and Nino quickly disappeared into some dark corner usually utilized by couples. Adrien had wanted to ask some questions to see what they might disclose about their miraculous, but Alya was still scared. He could see that she wasn’t ready to talk. Therefore Nino, who was already much better at keeping secrets than Paris’ main Ladybug blogger, would also be tight lipped.

Usually, Alya, Nino, Adrien, and Marinette worked on their research together but today Adrien was on his own. He was just considering that this would be a good excuse to visit Marinette later and catch her up on the assignment when Lila popped into his path. Adrien bit back an eye roll and smiled politely. “Good afternoon, Lila. What are you researching?”

“I noticed that you’re not studying with your usual group. Could  _ I _ maybe join you?”

Although Adrien would rather not, he still knew he had to remain polite to the girl that was for some reason moving up in the fashion world with the help of his father’s company. He walked to a nearby table and gestured to the seat across from him. He braced himself for whatever stories would leave her mouth today.

“I’m so glad that you’re safe after Ladybug’s failure yesterday. She’s so irresponsible with her miraculous. That’s why they often follow bloodlines, like the fox in my family.”

Adrien’s blood boiled. Not only was he insulting his partner, but was she once again trying to say she held the fox miraculous when he had seen Alya transform into Rena Rouge in the video from the stranger? His eyes snapped to Lila’s for the first time.

“I’m alright, thanks Lila.” 

Lila turned to carefully study the books on the shelf behind her. “And how are Alya and Nino?”

It was strange that she would ask about them. Alya and Nino were Adrien’s friends, but Lila had no reason to be exceptionally concerned for them. Adrien felt Plagg flit to attention and turned up his own guard.

“They’re well. They’re off in the stacks somewhere. Maybe that way?” Adrien hoped to send Lila on her way, but she wouldn’t take the bait. She turned back towards him and pulled his eyes to her.

“Really, Adrien? They don’t look  _ well _ . They look like something happened yesterday. They look shaken. I hope they’re not hiding anything.”

Adrien swallowed hard. Could Lila know that Alya and Nino were Rena Rouge and Carapace? Her family had money and connections. She could have paid the stranger on the internet for the same photos he did. But he also saw her showing off her new designer handbag before lunch; not a sign of someone who had just spent as much Bitcoin as he had. 

“They… uh… Th-they’re doing well,” he repeated firmly. He was really starting to feel uncomfortable with where this conversation was going. Plagg was practically vibrating against Adrien’s chest, making it harder to catch his breath.

“Mmhmm… Well if anybody knew what those two are hiding, it would be you and that pigtailed bakery girl you’re so determined to protect. Maybe  _ you two _ have a secret?”

Adrien’s eyes widened and blood flushed to his cheeks. That was ridiculous. He had stood up for her when Lila tried to get Marinette expelled, but he didn’t show her any preferential treatment. He just didn’t like bullying. Especially someone as kind and free-spirited as Marinette. How anyone could look into those deep blue eyes and want to pull the sparkle out of them… He didn’t know. He always tried to make her smile that smile that made the edges of her eyes and the bridge of her nose crinkle, like a sunbeam was bubbling up within her. Or when she was concentrating so hard on a sketch that she didn’t even know he was watching, with her nose scrunched up un thought… “Wh-what? Marinette is just a friend! We don’t have secrets-- I-I mean,  _ I _ don’t have any secrets. I don’t know if she has any secrets, I mean, I don’t  _ think _ she has any secrets. She certainly doesn’t  _ seem _ like she has any--”

“Adrien! There you are! I’ve been looking for you- for, uh, the project! Yeah, I’m going to visit Marinette after school and wondered if you wanted to come with me to show her what your group has done so far?” Alix looked out of breath.

“Oh! I wish I could, Alix, but I have a shoot this afternoon. Why don’t I show you what I’ve written so far?”

“Yes! And could you come with me to find Alya and Nino? They should have some work done too. You don’t mind, do you Lila?” Something about Alix’s look implied that Lila had better not say no.

Lila clearly grit her teeth. “Of  _ course not _ , Alix. I was just asking Adrien here how Marinette was doing. I know I’m worried about her absence, aren’t you?”

Adrien watched the two with keen interest. His experience with girls was limited, but he knew there was more going on than their mutual concern for Marinette’s health. He was afraid to breathe as Alix pulled him away from Lila.

Alix rounded the corner and they were definitely out of sight from Lila or any other prying ears. Adrien finally exhaled. “Thanks, Alix! Lila is nice and all but-”

“I don’t know what you know, and I don’t want to, just like I don’t want you to ask me how I know that you know something. But watch yourself around Lila. I don’t know why, and I don’t need to.” Alix fingered the tassel of a bookmark between her fingers. “Just, be careful who you talk to.” Then she turned and disappeared between the stacks.

  
  


Adrien returned from his shoot late in the evening, exhausted. He showered, thinking about his day. Often, after a rough akuma battle, Adrien welcomed the return to normalcy in the days that followed. Tonight he was just tired. Nothing felt normal yet. Nothing except the stress he felt from every angle. He let the day melt down the drain and imagined his frustrations washing away.

“Kid, you’ve got to get some rest. Stop and enjoy the cheese!” Plagg had not been able to say his piece since lunch. Adrien gets very little time alone, so Plagg has held in all of his opinions, and that is quite a lot of opinions. “Take a nap, tell you dad you need a day off, and tell that sneaky Lila girl to back off!” Even Plagg wasn’t going to bring up the previous evening’s enlightenment when Adrien was so close to sleep.

Adrien slipped on his Ladybug print pajama pants and his eyes were closed before his head hit the pillow. Plagg sighed and settled in next to him. He wasn’t about to be another thing nagging the poor boy. Besides, he was tired too.

Adrien woke with a start. He rarely remembered his dreams when they woke him like this, but tonight, he remembered a feeling. He felt it with that call he felt earlier, when he was hugging Marinette. Marinette who didn’t come back from lunch. What if he’d hurt her?

The next thing Adrien realized was that his mind was wide awake. There was no use in trying to sleep right now. He glanced at his phone. It was barely midnight. He grumbled silently to himself and rolled over. He wrapped his blanket around him and walked to his window. He gazed out at the skyline, imagining all of his friends, happily asleep in their beds.

Suddenly, there was one friend in particular he wanted to see. 

“Plagg,” he whispered. “I’m sorry but,  _ claws out _ !”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm... What was Alix up to? And where is Chat off to?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why is everyone awake? When do these characters sleep?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope people are enjoying this. I'm working on my dialogue. Let me know if it sounds natural enough.

Paris was calm as Chat Noir cruised through the air. Tired as he was, he needed the relief that came from literally running away. He followed one of his favorite courses, leaping high above Paris’s familiar skyline. He ran until his lungs burned, relishing the fire in his chest. Usually, this would be enough for Chat to return home and sleep peacefully for the rest of the night. But tonight, he still had one more stop before he was done.  
Passing Francois Dupont, Chat landed gracefully on the roof of the building across from Thomas and Sabine’s bakery. He wasn’t sure what he was hoping to see, but he felt so compelled. It was now easily past 1am, and surely the whole house was asleep.   
Chat’s heart stilled in surprise when his eyes met Marinette’s wide blue eyes staring at him from her balcony.

Marinette’s mother had woken her for dinner, but Marinette had promptly fallen asleep before dessert. Unfortunately, by midnight Marinette had slept almost 12 hours. She was finally starting to feel human again and she was starving.   
Marinette’s parents were quite used to their daughter’s unusual sleeping and eating habits. They had left chicken from dinner on a plate in the fridge next to a large piece of bread. On the counter there was an oversized serving of cobbler left from dessert. She brought them up to her balcony.  
After nibbling on her dinner for a bit, Marinette walked to the railing to think. She had messaged Alya to explain her absence, but of course there was no reply. Her eyes scanned the horizon, and she wondered if she should be out patrolling right now. No, Tikki deserved as much rest as she could get. She could, however, be studying the intimidating grimoire left in her care from Master Fu.  
Marinette hopped down onto her bed and grabbed the tote bag containing the iPad grimoire, Fu’s notes, and her own. The moonlight caught her phone and she paused. Had Adrien meant it that he should text her if she couldn’t sleep? What would she say?  
Hey, it’s Marinette. I’m just hanging out, not sleeping. Lol. Anyway, you said to text you… so here I am, texting you. Anyways! I hope you’re sleeping and not awake like me! Lol. So… Sweet dreams then! Xoxo  
Marinette rubbed her temple as she read what she wrote...after she hit send. Sighing, she left her phone in her bed and slipped back up through her skylight in time to see Chat Noir land across from her. She had not recovered from the surprise when he saw her.

Chat Noir recovered first. He slowly rose from his catlike resting pose, not once taking his eyes from hers. His mouth morphed from a small “o” of surprise to a wonderfully tender smile. He slowly raised his hand in a delicate wave. Marinette mirrored the gesture.  
Chat took Marinette’s wave as an invitation and leapt onto her railing, settling on his haunches. “Marinette, a pleasure to see you as always. What are you doing awake at this hour?”  
“I fell asleep at lunch so now I’m up. Would you like some food?” Marinette reached for the plate containing the chicken and bread. Chat’s mouth watered. He tried not to look too eager as he climbed down to sit with her, his eyes now fixated on the home-cooked meal before him. She handed him the plate and smiled at his eagerness. “Were you just hoping to snag a meal or would you like to stay for awhile?”  
Chat blushed. “Oh! I didn’t- I mean, I just saw-”  
“Relax. I’m glad you’re here. How are you doing? After… the other day? I saw how bad the fight was.”  
“You did? I thought there was no footage of the last akuma?” Chat tore a piece of bread off the loaf and used it to grab a bit of chicken.  
“Right! I just meant I saw… on the news! How people talked about it! You took some bad hits.”  
“Aww, is my number one fan worried for me?” Chat had stopped by a few times since Marinette had hastily confessed her love for him, and they had talked. Marinette clarified that of course she thought he was attractive, but there was another boy who would always hold her heart. Chat had assumed this was Luka. The incident had actually worked to spark a small bond between Marinette and Chat. Now, he could playfully tease Marinet about her “crush” on him, and she could dish it right back.  
“Worried the best bakery in Paris will stop feeding strays?” Marinette snatched the plate back. She watched his eyes widen in despair before winking and twisting away from him. She tore off a bite of bread and chicken. She opened her mouth and licked her lips slowly and grandly, holding his eyes the entire time.  
Suddenly Chat’s mouth went dry.   
Marinette held his gaze a bit longer and then reached over and popped the morsel into his mouth. An effervescent giggle burst from her mouth. “Silly cat, we will always feed you. Dessert however, you’ll have to share.” She gestured to the bowl of cake and berries on the table and smirked.   
Chat smiled like a ball of putty and shook his head, pulling his thoughts from Marinette’s lips. He swallowed his food and leaned back on his hands. “I can’t believe your friends think you’re generous,” he muttered cattily as he snatched the plate back.  
Marinette stilled. “What do you know about my friends?”

Marinette had tried to keep the thought from her mind that Chat might know her outside of their balcony run-ins. She was enjoying the chance to get to know Chat when he wasn’t trying to court her. She didn’t want to risk anything by thinking any longer than necessary about his identity.   
Chat had claimed not to go to Francois Dupont, and Marinette had intentionally never thought about whether or not that was true. Not only did she not want either of them to discover their identities, but it was comforting to her to have a friend who didn’t see her day-to-day, tripping on the stairs and snoring in class. She and Chat had developed a friendship based on mutual affection for one another, not because she was class president and hand popular friends.  
It bothered Marinette that Chat might know her friends more than it should. Did they talk about her? Did they really say she was generous? What else did they say? Did Chat agree? Did he stick up for her as his civilian self?

Chat stammered. “Well- I mean, I’m sure people must say that about you. You are generous, aren’t you?” He quickly stuffed a large bite of food in his mouth. He quickly pointed at Marinette’s tote bag. “Is that your latest project? I’d love to see it!” Chat swallowed his bite and smiled awkwardly, reaching for the bag.  
Marinette rushed from the railing and lurched at the bag.”NO!” In her hurry, Marinette stumbled on the edge of a planter. She stumbled, twisted, and promptly found herself sprawled across Chat’s lap, plate still in hand.

Both teens were afraid to breathe. Time stopped as Chat and Marinette stared into each others’ wide eyes. Holding her so closely for the second time today, Adrien again felt… something. Determined not to hurt her this time, Chat broke the spell first. He tried to make a joke.  
“Oh? Making something for the boy you love?” he asked, gently taking the plate from Marinette and placing it on the table.  
Marinette scurried off of Chat’s lap. “What?! No!” She snatched the bag up and tossed it through her window into her bed. “It’s just my notes-no-Journal! Yes, it was my diary. A girl’s gotta keep some secrets, doesn’t she,” Marinette asked, regaining some composure.  
Chat leaned forward. “Had to write your dreams about mystery boy?”  
Marinette rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Honestly! He was worse than Alya. “Not anymore! I’m not going to let boys control me anymore!” She puffed out her chest and held her head high. Then, worried that she was displaying courage beyond anything Marinette Dupain Cheng could reach, she sighed. She grabbed the cobbler and slid down next to Chat. “I think he likes someone else, and I’m no competition to her. I think maybe, we’re better off as friends.” She stared out at the city again.  
Chat looked surprised. Even tonight, wearing yesterday’s tee shirt with some flannel shorts, hair unbrushed and shadow smudge across her eyeline, Marinette was a beautiful girl. She had a strong presence and she had a way of talking to everyone in just the right way. The only other person Adrien had met that could hold your attention with that much sincerity was Ladybug. “That boy is missing out,” he said, sizing up the cobbler.  
Marinette scooped a bite of cake and berries. “I always got tongue-tied around him anyway. If I couldn’t talk to him, how was I going to do more?” She slid the spoon into her mouth then handed it to Chat.  
“Like share cobbler?” Chat winked, grabbing the spoon for his own bite.  
Earlier awkwardness melted away and the pair resumed the banter they had developed over the past several months over shared bites of cobbler.

By 2am, both kids were drowsily sated and lazily watching the stars. Marinette released a delicate yawn. Chat Noir glanced down at her warmly. “Hey,” he whispered. “I think you’re ready to go back to bed.” He nudged her gently.  
Marinette stretched. Another few hours of sleep and she might be able to function at school tomorrow. They stood up together. “You’re right, Chat. I want to be presentable at school tomorrow.” She gathered up their dishes and stepped onto her bed. Chat held his hand out to help her down. “Thank you kind sir.”  
“The pleasure is all mine.” Chat bent his head to her hand.  
Marinette had the strangest sense of deja vu. “Hey, kitty. Make it home safe. I’ll see you around.”  
“I look forward to it,” Chat said, leaping to the railing. He turned around one last time and waved goodbye. Then he was off into the night.  
Marinette watched the direction Chat left in for a while before snuggling unto her bed and drifting swiftly off to sleep.

Just across the arrondissement, Gabriel Agreste was returning from the atrium that housed his wife and his precious akumas. It was ironic that he could grant the power to fulfil the most insignificant desires, but had none to help him achieve his purpose. Nathalie was waiting for him.   
“Sir, Lila Rossi is making some noise online about the heroes’ identities. I have told her to report anything she learns directly to us.”  
“Good. Ladybug is the new guardian of the Miracle Box. I’m sure she’ll realize quickly that she’s in over her head, and will practically give us her miraculous.”  
“Also, sir, I have looked into the teenagers identified by Queen Wasp. Alya Cesare is the creator of the Ladyblog. Nino Lahiffe, you may remember him, is your son’s friend. We do not know yet which miraculous he’s held. Le Chien Kim is a local athlete. Max Kant is an elite computer programmer for his age. And of course you know Kagami Tsurugi, whom we know was the Dragon holder Ryuku. There is still no further information as to who the Snake wielder was, but it is only a matter of time before we have Ladybug’s whole team uncovered.”  
“Very well, Nathalie. I expect you to monitor Mlle Rossi’s online activity very closely to ensure she is being transparent with us.”  
“Of course Mr. Agreste. Good night, sir.” Nathalie slipped out the door and down the hall to her own room. Some nights were harder than others. Had her job really been reduced to spying on teenagers online?

Not so long ago, Nathalie remembers starting with the Agreste family. She knew that Adrien had just lost his mother and Gabriel his wife, but she felt a calling to step up and be the support system for them.   
In the beginning, it had been an adventure. Trips to Brazil, Thailand, China. Her friends had all been jealous as she jet set around the world with the infamous designer. Since Emilie Agreste’s disappearance, Gabriel had retreated into his mansion, besides his major excursions which no one but Nathalie and he knew about.  
Soon Nathalie settled into the high of chasing some mysterious ancient weapons all over the world. She almost forgot that the reason she was on this treasure hunt was to bring back another woman. She was too caught up in the romance and glamour of Morocco and Croatia and the Americas. By the time the damage of the peacock miraculous took root, it was too late.

As she faded into an empty sleep, she wondered if maybe she was headed down a dangerous path. She hated to see the man she loved in pain, but she thought about all of the unease she and her boss had caused the city and couldn’t help feeling guilty. And watching Adrien day after day, wanting nothing but the attention and unconditional love of his family, her heart broke a little more every day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm up to three chapters. Never thought I would do that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first akuma of the story. Akumas are hard to write. Let me say I have a lot more fun planning this fic than writing it. I have more ideas than time. Bear with me.

Marie held her sleeping baby Quentin in her arms, lightly rocking in a half-asleep haze. For hours no amount of milk, burping, rocking, swaddling, or singing would quiet him. Quentin was teething and nothing was bringing him (and therefore Marie) relief.  
Slowly, Marie rose, afraid to breathe. She placed the snoring infant in his crib and tiptoed across the hall to her own room. She dared to breathe only lightly now, as her husband was in the bed sleeping. He worked early today, he needed all the sleep he could get. Easing into her bed, she glanced at the clock. 4am. She could still get some sleep before everyone woke up.  
“Waaaaaaaaaah!” Marie sighed. She was just drifting off… She laid as still as she could, as if Quentin might hear her through the wall. Maybe he put himself back to sleep. Marie’s eyes felt heavy once more…  
“Mamaaaaaah!”  
Marie’s husband rolled over. “Can’t you take care of him?” He took her pillow and pulled it over his ear. “I’ve got that big Fibonacci conference today.”  
Marie stumbled back across the hall. In an hour she had to start breakfast for her family.

Adrien slid into his seat, hoping Nino didn’t notice Adrien look for Marinette before him. He thought again about the adorable text he had waiting for him when he returned from his patrol and he smiled once again. Marinette really was a good friend. He yawned happily, optimistic about the day.  
Still several minutes before the morning bell, Marinette strode into the room with the confidence of a girl who spent half the night cuddling with a superhero. Adrien was transfixed. Was he the only one who could see every second, every word of last night written in the freckles dusting her cheeks?

Marinette couldn’t believe that she was on time two days in a row. She had woken easily with her alarm, finally ready to face academia once again. She carried herself through the door with all the faux confidence she could muster and smiled at Adrien. Just because she wasn’t going to love him anymore didn’t mean they couldn’t be friendly, right? She took her seat, relishing in the pre-school chatter she rarely had time to hear.  
“Good morning, Marinette! Nino was just telling me about Kitty Section’s band practice tonight. Will you be there to support?”  
“Oh! Uh… Well, I do usually go to practice. I get lots of inspiration on the boat.”  
Adrien smirked. “Oh yeah? Nice view?” He winked.  
He. Winked.  
Adrien Agreste winked at her. Again.  
Marinette was not about to let him fluster her today. Not after 15 hours of sleep. Not after spending the pre-dawn hours being teased by a teenage cat-boy about her various crushes. Friends can handle being winked at.  
She doubled down. “I’ve seen nicer.” She leant down to pull her tablet from her bag.

Blood rushed through Adrien’s body. He felt hot and cold at the same time. How come Chat Noir couldn’t do that with his smoulder? Had she meant him? Was she talking about Chat?! Marinette had never seemed to find him attractive before…  
“Oh! I mean-- I am, are you--”  
“Alya! There you are! I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever! I fell asleep at lunch and slept all the way until this morning!” Marinette hated lying, but she couldn’t tell Alya what she was really doing at midnight last night.  
Alya shrugged haggardly. “M’ts’fine,” she mumbled, stepping past Marinette to her seat. Nino reached over her desk and squeezed her hand.  
“Looks like the twins gave you extra hell last night, babe, yeah?” Nino offered Alya the transparent excuse and neither Adrien or Marinette were about to press the issue. They were fortunate enough to be only children, so they couldn’t even offer much advice to someone who had to put their wild little siblings to bed on their own some nights. Their eyes quickly met each other, confirming silently with one another that they knew something was wrong with Alya.

A small spark in Adrien’s chest sent his eyes flickering nervously around the room. He wanted to keep talking to Marinette. He wanted to tell her that he finally remembered the name of the Anime he was telling her about, and that she could borrow it if she wanted. He even brought it in his bag just in case… In case what? Adrien couldn’t give her the DVD she and Chat Noir were talking about. He closed his eyes and shook his head, clearing his thoughts of last night. Almost.

“You slept all night? Did you text me in your sleep then?” What was it about that look that appeared on her face whenever she was covering something up? It was like a guilty pleasure to him.  
Marinette, who had calmed considerably with Alya’s fatigued entrance, sat up straight. “Oh? Did I? I… I do that to Alya sometimes too, right Alya?” Marinette looked desperately to her left for back up.  
“Hmm? Oh, I mean, sure. ” Alya turned back to showing Nino something privately on her phone, leaving Marinette to turn slowly back to Adrien with a helpless smile.  
“See?”  
“Hmm. Too bad. I thought maybe you were dreaming about me.”

Marinette felt like a mouse trapped by a particularly adept and sadistic cat. She had made the resolution to move on from Adrien, and here he is, openly flirting with her. She knew she had to stick to her guns. It would take more than a few disarming smiles and deep looks to drag her back to him. She had to be strong.  
But it wasn’t fair.

The glorious routine of school had only just begun to settle when the akuma alert sounded after lunch. Marinette stood to evacuate with her classmates when she noticed Alya still sitting at her desk, chin in hand.  
“Alya? What’s wrong? You’re usually the first one out the door when an akuma hits.” Marinette had finally taken notice of Alya’s unusual demeanor.  
“I’m just… afraid Ladybug will need help.”  
Marinette stilled cautiously. She chose her words carefully. “If Ladybug needs help, she has Chat Noir and the other heroes on her team to help her. Don’t worry about photographing her today. Why don’t you take advantage of the school release and go take a nap?”  
Alya just sighed, nodded and wandered out the door, glasses already being traded for her sunglasses. Marinette was left to wonder what was occupying her friend.

Ladybug landed on a roof near the start of the destruction. She was trying to locate Chat Noir.  
“STOP! STOP ASKING ME TO DO THINGS! I AM SPREAD TOO THIN AND NOW I WILL DIVIDE INFINITELY! I will finally be able to get everything done!” Fractal and her many smaller clones were rushing the plaza. Some were actually helping: cleaning, helping old ladies across the street, rocking babies. Others were being defiant to their orders, confusing those around them that had not been targeted. They were left watching weakly, still unsure of the rules today’s supervillan administered.  
Ladybug snatched her yoyo from her hip, sizing up her adversary. “Well let me lay it on thick for you: No one tells me what to do. Now I’ll ask you once nicely: Give me your akumatized object and tell Hawkmoth you won’t let him control you anymore.”  
“I TOLD YOU NOT TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!” Fractal began to glow violently.  
Chat Noir came running along the roof. “Now you’ve done it.” The light around Fractal grew hotter and more blinding until Ladybug could no longer look at it. Sparks shot from the spot and where they landed, a glowing form grew. “She multiplies exponentially every time someone gives her a command.” He shook a child-sized Fractal off of his foot. “And they get smaller each time.”

It was nice to see Chat again. Sure, she’d just spent several hours of last night laughing and sharing cobbler, but somehow that just made it that much nicer to see him again. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much time to appreciate his nearness as more tiny Fractals were headed their way. Ladybug put her head back in the game and got to work.

Fractal was sending out smaller and smaller clones everytime a citizen panicked and told her to stop or go away. Ladybug and Chat Noir were quickly becoming more overwhelmed as Fractals got more numerous and smaller.  
“Forget it Ladybug. Now that I can multiply, I can finally have time for me! Now, just give me your miraculouses and I can relax!”  
“I have something that will help me relax! My LUCKY CHARM!!” A spotted kitten mask landed in her palm.

“I know who designed that mask! Ladybug, you need to give Marinette another chance as MultiMouse. She’d be a great asset against a multiplying akuma!”  
Ladybug looked nervous. “Well… yes, but… obviously she can’t…”  
“I know you’re concerned because I know her identity, but I promise, I would never tell anyone. I would never let any harm come to her.”  
Ladybug smiled. “I know that, Chat,” she said softly. “But I can’t.” She looked down at the mask in her hand. It was a Kitty Section mask. Chat Noir recognized it before her. “Of course. Viperion. Kitty, I’ll be right back! Stay safe!”

Further down the Seine, the Liberte drifted quietly, hoping to avoid the commotion of the akuma. Juleka Couffaine and her girlfriend Rose were content to sit this one out in the lower decks, listening to Juleka’s brother Luka strum soothing chords on his guitar.  
“Juleka my dear, could you come up here?” Anarka Couffaine’s voice called down the hatch.

“Look who I found just off the banks.”  
Up top, Juleka saw her friend Alya. “Nino had to make it home to Chris, but your mom thought I should seek shelter right now.” Alya started down the stairs. “I guess Ladybug and Chat Noir are having trouble with this one.”  
Rose and Luka brightened when Alya entered the room. “Alya! I’m so glad you’re safe!” Rose smiled and gestured for her to sit on a floor pillow.  
Alya smiled and sat on the floor. The meditative position on the pillow coupled with the uniquely musky scent of incense and freshwater and the undefined melodies of Luka’s guitar did allow her to relax some. The rocking of the ship gave her a stronger sense of security than she had felt all week. She inhaled deeply.  
Juleka sank back down next to Rose. “My mom says we’ll be fine as long as we don’t talk to the akuma.” She mumbled quietly.  
Rose’s eyes widened. “What if she needs help again? Do you think the other heroes will come?”  
Alya choked on her breath. At least she’d relaxed for a couple seconds. Juleka began murmuring something about Rena Rouge and Carapace Alya knew she needed to say something. She was the superhero expert, the Ladyblogger. The Ladyblogger is the first to the scene, unless Rena had to step in. But Rena couldn’t step.... She was compromised. Ladybug still didn’t know yet. Would she be mad? Would she--  
“Alya? You look pale. Why don’t I go get us all some tea. You girls wait here.” Luka excused himself and went to the galley. He poured some water into a kettle and set it on the burner. He grabbed an assortment of tea bags for the ladies and set them on a tray with some cups. Then he closed his eyes, humming a sweet tune. He almost missed the soft footpads landing just inside the kitchen.  
He smiled, eyes still closed. “Would you care for some tea Ladybug?”  
Ladybug strode across the room to stand in front of his leaning form. “Luka Couffaine, I present to you the Miraculous of the Snake. I need your help. Do you accept?” She held the small box out to him impatiently.  
Luka took a deep breath. “You know I’m always glad to help you.” He finally lazed his eyes open.  
“How can you be so calm? I’m here because I’m failing and you’re relaxing?! I have no idea how to stop Fractal and she’s probably multiplying right now as we speak and--” Luka wrapped his hands around Ladybug’s arms, grounding her. She stopped talking and locked her eyes to his.  
“Ladybug, a lot of people depend on you, oui. But they know that they can. You have proven to them time and again that they can count on you.” Luka continued to hold Ladybug, who was beginning to visibly relax in his arms. “Now let’s go save Paris!”  
The kettle whistled and Ladybug hit the ceiling. Luka laughed. “Do you mind if I bring this down to the girls first?”  
Ladybug, still clutching her chest, nodded. “Take Sass and meet me at the Champ de Mars as fast as you can!” She leapt off of the boat and off to the action once again.

Though Chat Noir was relieved to see Ladybug approaching, he noticed Viperion was not with her. Maybe Luka wasn’t there, or he couldn’t help for some reason. Maybe they could go get Marinette. He dodged another mini-Fractal and rushed to meet Ladybug.  
“Viperion is coming, and I think I have a plan.”

* * *

“Thanks again for your help, Luka. We really needed you. I really needed you,” Ladybug landed on the Liberte, post-adrenaline crash already encroaching on the edges of consciousness.  
“Ladybug, it’s an honor to fight with you. You always find a way.” Luka handed his Miracle box back to Ladybug. His second chance had helped the three find the loophole they needed to defeat Fractal.  
Ladybug blushed. “Thank you Luka, but I didn’t do anything special. I got so flustered, and you were able to stay calm and find the problem. How do you do that?”  
Luka smiled humbly. “Ladybug, you did everything right. I’m sorry that you don’t see it every time, but you are amazing.” He lifted Ladybug’s chin with her hand. “You just have to trust yourself.”  
“I’m supposed to be the one giving pep talks after akumas,” Ladybug smirked, secretly luxuriating in the aura of peace that emanated from her friend.  
“You worry about Paris. Your team is here to worry about you.” Luka’s steady confidence was like a salve on Marinette’s anxieties. “Now, you need to go home and relax. You’ve earned it.” He picked his guitar up from the chair on the deck and began to strum a melody. It sounded like Marinette’s. “You know, I have a friend who’s a lot like you. She works so hard, but she never thinks it’s enough. She pushes herself so hard, she falls asleep at lunch in exhaustion.” Marinette’s melody began to morph, new intricacies and variations dancing from his fingers.  
“Uh, well I’m sure your friend appreciates that you notice her…”  
“She’s a very special girl.” Luka’s sudden brevity was interrupted when Ladybug’s earrings beeped.  
“Oh look at that-- I have to go!” Ladybug turned to flee.  
“Luka are you still up here?”

Alya topped the stairs holding a tray of empty tea mugs to see Luka sitting alone in a chair, strumming his guitar again. She couldn’t shake from her mind something red that she swore she saw in the corner of her eye, disappearing into the Parisian afternoon.

School was cancelled for the rest of the day, so Marinette went home to get her sketchbook. Watching her friends be so creative gave her inspiration for her own art. Plus she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Alya in a few days and she was clearly worried about something.  
Marinette ran through the bakery, grabbing several of Adrien’s favorite pastries on her way out the door. Maybe she was being optimistic, but it was Adrien who brought up the rehearsal. She tried not to wish that it meant he would be there. She was getting over him anyway, right?  
Suddenly the bag of sweets in her hand felt heavier than before. How hard was it going to be to break this stupid habit? Had her love for Adrien been reduced to simple muscle memory at this point? She was thinking about him like you’d talk of cutting back on caffeine for a few weeks because you were getting a headache. Was Adrien a headache?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually only have time to write out at our cabin where there's no internet, so spelling mistakes aren't checked until later. If you see errors let me know. :-)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter with some Adrienette flirting and some Kitty Section rehearsal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to fill out this scene and write some more, but I also know it took me a month to get around to this much. Hopefully I'll have another half-chapter very soon.  
> Thank you for reading. It's been nice to get back into writing for the first time since... middle school. I won't say how long that's been.  
> Enjoy!

Chat’s ring was beeping it’s final warning when he landed across the street from his house. His transformation released and he handed Plagg his wedge of Camembert, already walking briskly across the street to the gate.  
“Dammit Plagg, I was hoping to get ahead on my work at school today so I could go to Kitty Section’s rehearsal with Nino and the girls.” Adrien punched in the passcode for the gate as Plagg drifted into Adrien’s bag.  
“Relax. I bet fencing got cancelled thanks to it!” Plagg settled in amongst Adrien’s scarf, a staple of Adrien’s bag. He didn’t wear it often, but it helped him to carry it, a simple reminder that his father’s love was there, no matter how distant. Plagg enjoyed something softer than a textbook to nestle against. Adrien sighed and marched to his room.

“Adrien. You are to come straight home during an akuma evacuation. You know this.”  
“Yes, Nathalie. Is father home? I was wondering if I could go to my friends’ band practice.”  
“Your father is working right now. I’ll relay your request.”  
Adrien nodded. It was all that he could do.

Marinette was the last aboard the Liberte. Luka was no longer sitting on the deck, likely chased to his room by the activity of the coming rehearsal. Ivan, Juleka, Mylene, and Rose were busily hauling speakers and mic stands into position. Marinette found Alya below deck, intently scrolling on her phone while Nino watched her from the couch.  
“Alya? What are you doing down here?” Alya was usually helping and documenting the band. “Is everything okay?”  
Alya and Nino exchanged glances. “Yeah. Yeah, I was just reading about the akuma. It sounded rough.”  
Marinette nodded. “She needed help,” she said quietly, confirming Alya’s fears from earlier.  
Alya’s brow furrowed. “Did she pick the right hero?” What if Ladybug had needed Rena Rouge but couldn’t find her, and that’s why she had struggled so long?

“Ladybug always solves the problem,” a baritone voice cut into the room. “Don’t you think, Marinette?”

Marinette inhaled slowly, feeling peaceful and prickly all at once. She smiled. “She has a strong team to support her.” Her eyes glanced hopefully behind Luka. “Is practice almost ready to start?” If Adrien did get to come, he and Luka often warmed up together.  
Sympathetically, Luka nodded. “I think everyone is here that can make it.” He leaned back into his room and grabbed his song book off of his dresser. “I’ve got some new tunes to try.” He saw Marinette trying to cover up her disappointment. “I made sure your favorite drawing chair was reserved for you.” He began to lead her back up the stairs. Alya and Nino stayed silently behind.  
As Marinette climbed the stairs, she reprimanded herself that she was no longer going to let a boy upset her. She straightened up and set her mind to having a good time. She sat in the comfiest deck chair and pulled her sketchbook from her bag. She was careful not to smash the croissants she’d stashed in there in embarrassment. She took a deep breath and relaxed to the familiar sounds of Kitty Section warming up.  
Marinette’s mind had wandered to the night before. She was always glad when Chat showed up, but it meant even more the day after such a complex attack. Chat seemed to like Viperon, so it was also always fun when those two had a chance to work together. She lazily sketched a black cat-themed summer dress. Breezy and casual, like Chat, a bow with a long train evoked his feline belt-tail. As Luka gathered everyone for the first song, Marinette began to design a snake-themed male summer outfit.   
A moment of silence before the music started brought Marinette out of her meditative state.She had drawn the male model skinny, not with the broad shoulders of Viperion, but the waif-like build of a model. She’d drawn Aspik. She exhaled with annoyance.  
True, only she would know that the patterns and colors she used were from the unknown Aspik, and not the regular snake-holder’s costume, but it showed to her that she was still focused on Adrien. She glared at the design, figuring out how to make the penciled model look less like her former crush. She used her finger to smudge the outline of his head, quickly drawing in messy, playfully-pieced hair across the top.  
His warm breath reached her ear before he spoke and she stiffened. “Is that a Chat-themed dress I see?” Not sure entirely what to expect, Marinette turned around quickly, right into Adrien’s green eyes. She slammed her notebook shut.  
“Gah! I-uh…” Why was this boy always in her space all of a sudden?! “Adrien! I didn’t think you weren’t- not- no, were- coming!”

“Hm, I always thought of you as more of a Viperion fan. Could it be that your heart is torn between two muses?” Adrien had hoped she liked being teased as much by Adrien as she did by Chat, but Marinette’s reaction showed that he had clearly overstepped. He softened and reapproached. “I’d love to see your designs sometime, Marinette. You always make great things.” He held her eyes with his for a moment, wishing he could will ease into her. “It doesn’t have to be now,” he added helpfully.  
“Oh! Uhm, sure! I’d love yo-that, Adrien.” Marinette smiled quietly and toyed with her sketchbook. “And yes, it was a Chat Noir dress. I’ve always been a...uh, fan of his.” She paused, imagining the innuendo Chat would've teased her with. She was so lost in her secret that she didn’t notice Adrien enjoying it with her. “I do like Viperion though. He seems very wise.” Her eyes flickered to Luka, who was marking changes in his own notebook thoughtfully.   
“In youth and beauty wisdom is rare.” Marinette was brought back into the room at the sound of Kagami’s voice. “Viperion’s observational skills indeed seem exceptional, but he is undisciplined.”  
“Not all of us have dragon-like focus, Kagami. Ladybug needs all kinds of help in her fight against Hawkmoth. Why wouldn’t she need someone who can teach her to trust her own natural abilities?”   
Marinette thought it was amusing that Adrien would compare Kagami to a dragon. Did she tell him she was a Miraculous holder? Worse still, did Adrien tell her that he once held the Snake Miraculous? Is that why they were together? Wait, were they together? “Wait, don’t you guys have fencing right now? Was it cancelled because of the akuma?”  
“M. D’Argentcourt just needed everyone to check in, but class was too small to hold, so Kagami and I were able to sneak away,” Adrien explained with a wink.  
“I can’t stay, but Adrien is feeling more... rebellious.” Kagami turned to the blonde. “I look forward to our next official social outing,” she said in mock formality. Marinette tried not to feel jealous of the easy bond between the two.   
“Until next time, dragonne.” Adrien bowed. Kagami laughed and walked away casually. Adrien snickered and looked up. Instead of watching Kagami go, Adrien looked first to Marinette, hoping his broad, mischievous smirk would continue to warm himself up to Marinette. Instead she again looked shocked.

A single chord rang through time. Kitty Section finished another song, leaving the note to fade indefinitely. Marinette looked at Adrien indefinitely, her mind racing as it worked to make sense of her deja vu.  
Rose and Luka had long turned to the rest of the band to discuss the run-through when Marinette finally spoke. She shook her head dramatically. “Whew! Sorry, you just did something that reminded me so much of a very good friend of mine.” She laughed awkwardly. Even when she had committed to getting over Adrien, she was still staring at him? “Must have been the light or something. You guys look nothing alike!” She laughed more quietly.  
Adrien looked away. This is why he can’t be fully at ease around Marinette. So few people could get close to Chat Noir, and fewer still to Adrien. Of course Marinette and her designer’s eye for detail would notice their similarities. And yet…  
“For you to look at him like that, he must be a very special friend indeed,” Adrien drawled with all the innocence of St. Athanase. He delighted in the glow spreading across her cheeks. “Is Nino below deck?” Without waiting for a response, Adrien walked casually down the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Really a continuation of the previous chapter, Adrien and Nino make small talk, a bit of Lukanette, and then...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may have gotten away from me. As always, comments very welcome!

Adrien made sure that his footsteps announced his presence before him. He didn’t need to worry about surprising them though. Alya was burrowed into Nino’s side on the couch, clearly sleeping for the first time in two days. Nino was worriedly stroking her hair, already watching Adrien come down.

  
“I think we’re going to sit this practice out, dude. Alya hasn’t been sleeping well. If she’s finally out, I’m going to stay and watch over her.” Nino fingered his wrist, where his Miraculous sometimes lay. Carapace first appeared when Nino was fighting Ananzi to protect Alya. How had Adrien not seen that? How had Marinette not seen that…?

  
Adrien brought a couch pillow over from the loveseat and helped Nino tuck it in behind his neck. “You have done an amazing job taking care of Alya; of all of us. Whatever it is that’s stressing Alya, you’ve both got Ladybug and Chat Noir on your side. Their team always comes out on top.” Was that too obvious?

  
“Always? What if someone on her team messes up?”

  
The model smiled. “Then she’s got me.” A dreamy look crossed Adiren’s face. Nino raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He’d known of Adrien’s love for Ladybug for quite a while. He was going to mention it to Ladybug sometime, be a good wingman… But then, he was found out and he knew it wasn’t safe for Ladybug to contact him or Alya.

  
Unless… Nino could comfort his girlfriend and help his bro. “Actually, dude, speaking of that… I could use your help.” Alya would kill him if she heard him talking to anyone about Carapace and Rena Rouge, but Adrien did have money and influence…

Marinette had just about had her fill for today. First Adrien refused to let his claws free of her, then a particularly difficult akuma, and now Adrien is back, sending shivers to places he has no business being. She stormed back to her seat and sat down, glaring to her side, in the direction that Adrien had left. She picked her notebook up and flipped back to her newest design. Now the male design had a dark smudge with a few penciled-in pieces of hair. It was clear to anyone that they were not original, which would only prompt people to ask why she bothered to change the hairstyle so carelessly.

  
Marinette squinted at the drawing in anger, determined not to think about Adrien. Kitty Section had taken a short break and Luka was alone on the stage, softly strumming variations of Marinette’s melody on his guitar. She closed her eyes in appreciation, letting the warm chords fill her heart. She smiled, imagining Viperion on the rooftops, gently strumming his harp. She was lucky to have her friends, and her team.

  
Aspik had clearly been the wrong snake holder. But Viperion was not quite right for the playful summer look that fit her breezy Chat-themed dress. Marinette thought back to her fight against Reflekdoll as Lady Noire. She listened to her melody, thinking with that playful lightness that the Cat miraculous emanated through her. A mischievous thought bubbled into her mind as her eyes opened into little slits. With some lines darkened, and some smudges shaded in, her look began to take shape.

  
Luka modified Marinette’s melody, inserting playful variations without being too apparent. Music spoke to him in a language that crossed any other boundaries. He knew it was rare, but Luka found it easiest to speak back using music. Only Marinette had the patience to learn a new way of listening, and so Luka spoke to her whenever he could.

  
As Marinette calmly added finishing strokes to her designs, she allowed herself a sense of satisfaction. There! She made two designs celebrating one of her best friends. Only she would recognize the snake-hood with cat ears that Chat created when he unified the two Miraculouses. She had even adapted it into the perfect summer Pandora hat. She was proud of herself for not getting hung up on drawing Aspik. She had managed to turn her brief lapse into something completely unique.

  
Then break was over, and Kitty Section poured back up the stairs followed by Alya, who looked like she had finally gotten a little bit of rest. Marinette jumped up, her notebook fluttering to the floor. “Hey guys! Ready to finish up rehearsal?” She began to busy herself, anxiously rushing to the stage to help straighten mic stands and Ivan’s drums. Alya stood at the top of the stairs, chewing her lip.

  
“You are enough, Marinette.” Luka’s deep serenity cut through her ministrations. “You seem a little flustered. Are you alright?”

  
“I’m worried for Alya, Luka. She is clearly concerned, but she won’t tell me why.” Marinette crossed the stage again to stand closer to Luka. “If I knew what was wrong, maybe I could help her. And… I have to admit it hurts that Alya hasn’t come to me with whatever’s bothering her. We’re supposed to be best friends, and she doesn’t even know that I flirted with Adri- Sorry. I didn’t mean to unload on you,” the girl’s shoulders sagged, chastising herself for carrying on about a crush she no longer supposedly had.

  
“Marinette, you always worry about your friends. Alya knows that you care for her. Maybe she’s just looking for the right way to talk to you.” Luka changed his strumming to what could only be Alya’s melody. Marinette smiled. “When she is ready, just make sure you are there. She knows you always solve the problem.”

  
Marinette paused, her hand stalled above a cymbal. Hadn’t he just said that about Ladybug? Did he know? Did Alya? Did everyone?!

  
“Until then, you have enough on your plate. No need to add something else just now.” Luka returned to the tune he had been working on before. Marinette didn’t know it, but already the image was swirling in her head. She closed her eyes and let the notes speak to her, slowly aligning herself to the present, allowing the abstract colors and textures flow through her mind. She swayed with the Liberte, and smelled Luka’s steady perfume carried across the stage by the breeze of the Seine. Her friends began to pick up their instruments, and the light tinkle of guitar pics, drum sticks, and Rose’s warm ups. Marinette kept her eyes close, squeezing every second of peace she could out of the moment with one last deep breath-

  
“Hi guys, sorry I’m late! Alec Cataldi needed to interview me about Ladybug’s big blunder with Fractal, and it was very emotional. I needed some time to collect myself before I faced you.” Marinette’s eyes snapped with resignation.

  
“Isn’t Alec’s show on vacation this week because he’s in Norw-” Marinette was just scrolling up Gloob’s Instagram when she caught eyes with Adrien coming up the stairs. She sighed. “I hope you are feeling better now, Lila,” she said with as little sympathy as she could get away with. She walked over to her chair and sat down.

  
The rest of the group visibly relaxed and continued to get ready for the rest of rehearsal. Lila smiled smugly, having finally bested Dupoint’s Princesse. Until she saw the way that Adrien Agreste was looking at Marinette. What hold did this baker girl have over him?

  
“Ahh! Oh, the rocking of the ship must have aggravated my ankle!” The girl hopped on one foot and then threw herself at Luka, who frowned.

  
“Something’s definitely aggravated,” Marinette muttered. Unfortunately Lila saw this and went in for the kill.

  
“Marinette, I know you feel bad about pushing me down the stairs the other day. Maybe if you gave me your seat so I could rest my ankle, we’d all feel a little better. I know I would.” The way she locked eyes with Marinette showed she meant business.

  
For a beat Marinette only stared back in disbelief. She was trying to be civil, but Lila just couldn’t let it go. “What?! Everyone knows I didn’t reall-” A hand lightly touched her shoulder and she stopped. She remembered what Chat had told her one night on her balcony after Lila had said something particularly callous.

  
_“Mari, the only person I know who cares more about the truth than you is my lady, and I believe with all me heart that the truth will always win. Ladybug never gives up, and I know you won’t let her get to you, either.”_

  
“You know what, take the seat. I’m leaving anyway.” Marinette grabbed her bag and stormed out as casually as she could, shrugging off Adrien’s hand as she brushed by him. This wasn’t a battle she wanted to fight today. She would leave before Lila pushed her to akumitazation again; she would be the bigger person.

  
Adrien watched her go, feelings of injustice boiling from deep within him. He clenched his fist, deciding whether to call after Marinette, lash out at Lila, or transform into Chat Noir and cataclysm the whole Liberte and all of Mari’s “friends” who just watched that exchange happen and said nothing. Before he could do something he might regret, Lila had hoisted herself from Luka’s unwilling lap and hobbled across the stage to Marinette’s favorite chair. Just before she made it, Lila clutched at her head and stumbled into Adrien.

  
“Oh, thank you Adrien. I don’t know if it’s my vertigo acting up or something else that’s taking my breath away, but thank you for saving me.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him, taunting him silently. Adrien dropped her into the chair heavily.

  
“Oh, Adrien, could you take a look at my ankle for me? It just hurts so much.” Lila had a way of commanding attention for everyone else in the class. Adrien could feel the others watching with interest. He knelt down and grabbed her ankle roughly while the others went about their business.

  
“There were other chairs you could have sat in. You didn’t need to ask Marinette to move.” Adrien kept his voice and his head low.

  
Lila reached down and turned Adien’s face to hers. “Don’t you think that I know that? Marinette knows who’s in charge, and I don’t intend to let her forget it.” She smiled coyly and kissed Adrien on his cheek. Loudly, for her audience, she said, “Oh, Adrien, you are so talented and caring! Just your touch has made it feel better already! Thank you! Can you help me up please?” Lila looked him in the eyes and Adrien knew he had to.

  
Adrien put on his most polite face and offered the sly girl his hand. It was clear that this was no longer a game and that sides had been taken. He planted his feet to pull her up when suddenly, Lila gave a small cry of surprise. Adrien felt something behind his ankle and a swift tug on his wrist, then he was sitting in Marinette’s chair. His classmates gasped while Lila performed a flourished hop onto her feet. She clutched her hands to her chest and spun to face him. Adrien’s hand was on his neck, looking out of sorts. Before he had a chance to recover, she had bent down into his face.  
“Listen Adrien, if I can bring down St Marinette, it should be no problem for me to end you, what with all your flaws and...secrets. Think very carefully about what side you want to be on,” she whispered. “Whoever has your heart sure is lucky, I hope she’s worthy,” she said for the crowd. Then she sauntered off to talk to Max.

  
Adrien inhaled and slumped back in the chair with a sigh. He looked up at Luka who had quietly seen most of the altercation. Luka met his eyes with stoic warning and began to strum a new line, one in a minor key. Adrien nodded and moved to sit up. His ankle kicked something and he looked down. Marinette had left her sketchbook!

  
Adrien reached down to grab it. Marinette was going to be so upset when she realized this was missing. He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention and she started to tuck it into his bag. Once again he met eyes with Luka, who only nodded. Adried took this as a sign of permission and stood to leave. Luka pulled his hood over his head and slipped into the mise en scene of the deck.

  
Adrien walked swiftly over to Nino in an attempt to say goodbye quickly. Adrien waved, not wanting to interrupt his conversation with Mylene. Nino leaned in and the boys exchanged a solemn bro handshake, and silent promises were made. Besides Mylene, Adrien tried to make sure no one saw him leave. He went ashore and began heading towards the park.

  
Sly green eyes smiled. Lila pulled out her phone. She leaned on the railing of the Liberte just as the line connected. “Is Adrien there? Because I went to walk him home from fencing and he wasn’t there! M. D’ArgentCourt said class was released 45 minutes ago! I’m very worried for him.” She ended the call and watched Adrien walk along the Seine, marveling at her own resourcefulness.

  
Luka strummed his guitar and watched the cunning girl.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's some more Marichat, you saps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've noticed started making my chapters shorter. Does anyone prefer that, or should I wait longer between updates to have more than a few pages at a time?

Chat sailed over the rooftops, his adrenaline rush sailed over the Parisian skyline, invigorated by Marinette’s inspiration and his own eagerness to praise her. He rounded the corner and Tom & Sabine’s bakery shone through the twilight with warmth, even closed. His eyes slid shut and he breathed in the scent of the evening’s bread baking. He saw Marinette on her balcony, watering some plants in pretty pots and grinned. He couldn’t wait to talk to her about her notebook!

Just as he leapt over the building between Marinette and him, a sharp tug on his tail sent him clumsily rolling to the rooftop. His heart stopped until he spotted Bunnix, glaring down at him impatiently. “Kitten Noir. I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing more of each other.”

“Bunnix?! What are you doing here? Is Ladybug in trouble?”

“Just know that when you see me, you’ve probably messed up. I’m here to protect your identities.” Bunnix scrunched her nose in thought as her eyes scanned Chat for evidence. “There! Marinette’s book! What are you doing with it?”

Chat stashed the book behind his back in embarrassment. “Wha-? Oh! Well see, Mari left it at Juleka’s and Adrien found it but he wasn’t able to bring it back to her, so he just happen to find me and I didn’t have anything else to do, being Chat Noir and all, and so I just, for Adrien, who is definitely not me, I-” Bunnix clamped her hands on Chat’s shoulders, effectively stopping his spiral. 

“Mon Dieu, Agreste. At least you’re pretty,” she whispered in frustration. “I’m sure it’s the notebook. You can’t give Marinette the notebook that she left with Adrien. Just give it to her at school tomorrow instead, and everything should be fine… as long as you didn’t read it.”

“What?! Does that sound like something I would do?”

“No, but it sounds like something Plagg would do.” Bunnix glared at him accusingly. Somehow Adrien knew that Plagg felt it.

“I take it you two have met,” Chat muttered flatly. “You really do know who I am, don’t you?”

Bunnix softened. “I do. You make Ladybug proud.”

“Will I always?”

“Everyone on Ladybug’s team makes mistakes from time to time.” Chat’s shoulders slumped. “But no squad is more loyal. And Kitten,” Chat looked back at her. “You are the most dedicated of all.”

Chat Noir smiled for a moment, but sadness crept in. “Why can’t I know who Ladybug is?”

Bunnix looked at him with sympathy. “Identities are as fragile as time, Adrien. Until the world is safe from Hawkmoth, we have to be as careful as we can.” 

“Is that what Alix was talking about at the library when she pulled me from Lila?”

Bunnix nodded proudly. “I have a couple more tricks up my sleeve. Just you wait.” She turned back to her burrow. “Be careful around Lila. And try not to look at those sketches. Trust me, Kitten.” 

“Bunnix? Can I still go say hi to Marinette?” Just because he couldn’t talk about fashion with her didn’t mean he didn’t want to see his friend. He had come all this way...

Bunnix rolled her eyes, like maybe she knew something that he didn’t. She smiled and waved a hand at him. “Go. Just leave the book here.” She hopped in. “See you next time!” The burrow closed up and Chat was left in the dark.

He set Marinette’s book on the rooftop and hopped over to her balcony, eager to see his friend, though it had only been a couple of hours since he had last seen her. He loves being alone with her, watching the moonlight reflect into her blue eyes. She was always more candid and peaceful when he saw her without the noise of the classroom buzzing behind them. He hated being a celebrity because it felt like everyone was watching and judging him. And Marinette was so amazing and popular, the students and teachers were all competing for her attention. And it felt like that scrutiny only doubled when the two of them were together. But when it was just the two of them, looking at the stars and talking about their dreams, he felt like he was capable of anything. She really was his everyday Ladybug, both Adrien’s and Chat’s.

Marinette was happily watering the tiny herb pots and delicate flowers on her balcony, her hair wrapped in a thin pink towel and a fuzzy bathrobe tied over her pajamas. Her back was turned, as a strong yawn squeaked out and she stretched as she turned around, somehow not surprised to see Chat smiling goofily from the railing, tail piqued in curiosity. She matched his lazy affection, not embarrassed to be caught mid-yawn in the slightest. She set her watering can down and blinked at him sleepily.

“Hey, Kitty. I am so glad to see you.” Just seeing him before bed, Marinette always seemed to sleep better. “Today was exhausting!” Chat stepped down from the railing and took her hand. The light pink that lit up her cheeks when he kissed her hand delighted him.

“I’m glad to know you’re feeling better… Than, you know, some days.” This was more Marinette than Adrien was treated to on most days. He knew he was starting to confuse which side of him saw her for which conversation. No wonder Bunnix was frustrated with him. “I mean, I know Lila can give you a hard time.” Chat knew he wasn’t supposed to know she had a run in with Lila today, but honestly it could be assumed that she did something nasty to Mari on any given day. He wrapped his arm around the petite girl and she snuggled into him.

“Ugh, when doesn’t she? She was pushing it today at Juleka’s. But you know what?” Marinette turned her head to look up at the blond. “I remembered how much you believe in me, and I walked away.”

“Really? You were thinking of me?” Adrien had been with Marinette when Lila confronted her. He saw how strong she had been. 

Marinette nodded lightly. “Mmhmm,” she confirmed. “And how are you? The akuma today took it pretty hard on you.” Though she hated keeping her identity from Chat, Marinette was glad that she was able to see Chat after villains as someone other than Ladybug. She trusted Chat with her life, and he with hers, but sometimes he would take dangerous hits and try to hide just how hurt he was. Her Miraculous Ladybugs usually fixed the pain, but the trauma and exhaustion from the memories remained. He tried to stay macho for Ladybug till the end, but he let his vulnerability show for Mari, allowing her to massage sore muscles and silently process the many frightening ends he endured at the hands of Hawkmoth’s psychological torment.

“She did, but I’m fine now.” Marinette always worried about him. It was nice to have someone care about him. “Viperion was a good choice.”

“You sound like you disagree. You think she made the wrong choice?”

“Ladybug always makes the right choice,” Chat answered automatically. He didn’t see Marinette’s guilt-ridden expression.

“Still sensing some doubt.” Marinette liked to get right to the point.

Chat sighed and walked across to the plants next to the skylight. He brushed the lavender with his hand and inhaled. He took his time exhaling, until he quietly said, “I wanted you.”

“ _ What _ ?!” Marinette gasped. Though it had been several months since the events of Weredad brought she and Chat together, they had simply never talked about Multimouse. Marinette would just as soon have Chat forget that she had ever held a Miraculous.  _ Well, another Miraculous, _ she thought, fingering her earring.

“You were great as Multimouse! And the akuma kept dividing! What better time to use a dividing Miraculous power?!” Chat’s complaint burst forth. “I know I saw and I didn’t mean to, but I am really good with secrets! I’ll keep trying to convince Ladybug that you deserve another shot. It’s not fair that you should lose your shot at being a hero just because  _ I _ messed up!” Chat finally stopped to breathe and Marinette stepped in.

“Chat,” she said, crossing the balcony to grab his wrists, stilling his animated tirade. “I am perfectly happy being Marinette. Ladybug knows what she’s doing. Trust her.”

Chat slowly let out the breath he’d been holding. “I do. I always do. I just… don’t want you to think you did something wrong.  _ I _ wanted it to be you.” Chat’s vulnerable honesty was more powerful than his Cataclysm. He wasn’t being romantic, he was just being loyal to his friends.

“Well thank you. If only I had a treat for you,  _ Chaton _ ,” Marinette brightened. “Oh! I just happen to have…” She dove through her skylight and returned with her bag. “This!”

Chat cocked his head curiously, his tail curving gracefully behind his shoulder. He watched as Marinette held a small, lightly dented bakery box out to him. His eyes widened in delight when she propped the lid open. “Those… those are my favorites!”

Marinette giggled and snatched the box out of reach. “Please! They’re  _ all _ your favorites, kitty. I don’t know how you stay so slim, as often as you come begging.” She turned back to Chat, a sadder smile on her face. “You’re just lucky I’m trying to cut back on… sweet things.”

Chat paused to swallow the half of a croissant he was chewing. “Still struggling on  _ mew- _ ving on from your mystery boy?” He sunk into her chair and popped the second half into his mouth. “Maybe he needs to know that it’s the friend of a superhero’s heart he’s breaking.” Chat puffed up and looked as menacing as he could with chocolate melted to the tip of his nose. He cracked his knuckles as Marinette reached up and wiped it off with her thumb.

“Is that so?” She absent-mindedly licked her thumb clean. “Well before you get all protective on me again, this boy is being a perfect gentlemen. I guess I’m just still getting used to talking to him like a friend, and not like a mod- a celebrity or something..” She watched Chat pull a chocolate macaron from the box take an eager bite. She laughed as more chocolate found its way to his cheek. “Maybe I just need to watch him eat a pastry,” she joked. Chat grinned.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Marinette. Even if this boy isn’t the one, the next one is going to realize how amazing you are and snatch you right up!” Chat emphasized his point by grasping Marinette in a bear hug and spinning her around. He set her down with a flourish and spun her into a dip. “Alas my princess, I must retire to mine own tower. As always, thank you for the sustenance.” He righted her and kissed her hand grandly.

Marinette delicately placed the back of her hand to her forehead. “ _ Mon Chaton, _ I wait with baited breath your return.” She opened her skylight and another petite yawn burst forth. “Please take my family's prized pastries to get you through this separation.” She gestured to the box on her table.

Chat immediately crammed another cookie in his mouth. “Ya know,” he mused through the crumbs. “If boys aren’t doing it, you could always get a cat…”

“Don’t make me get the hose.” Marinette let the skylight drop closed. Chat grinned and leapt home, clutching his sugary prize to his chest protectively.

Adrien took on many feline qualities as Chat including better hearing and vision and that humiliating purr. One thing he did not pick up was stealth. Even his black costume and padded shoes couldn’t fully cover the waves of adrenaline pouring off of him. Yes, Marinette was just a friend, but sometimes, especially as Chat, talking to her left him with this rush, this flirty, vibrating energy he couldn’t quite name. It was so powerful, Chat didn’t notice that anyone was watching him as he flung himself through Paris on his way home.

Lila watched Chat Noir leap joyously through the air, spinning off of poles and tumbling in mid-air. She crossed her arms darkly. This plan was ridiculous. She narrowed her eyes in defiance to her absent master.

This plan needed some… gossip. She studied the photos in front of her. It was time for Rena Rouge and Carapace to know she meant business. She sent her friend in Russia the coded email and shut her laptop. Lila wanted to be well rested for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was just a bunch of fluffy garbage. I'll get back on track soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Questions? Comments? Critiques?


End file.
